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Federal Laws Requiring Resident Tuition

Out-of-state students: To ensure that our recently discharged veterans and their eligible family members will not have to bear the cost of out-of-state charges while using their Post 9/11 GI Bill® and Montgomery GI Bill® education benefits, UMD is fully compliant with Section 702 of the Veterans Access, Choice & Accountability Act of 2014.  We have also elected to participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program to make additional funds available without an additional charge to your GI Bill entitlement. 

Veterans’ Access, Choice, and Accountability Act

Please note: GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at www.benefits.va.gov/gibill

Section 702 of the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 requires schools to bill eligible individuals using Chapter 30 Montgomery GI Bill® or Chapter 33 Post 9/11 GI Bill® at the in-state tuition rate if they meet the requirements of the law, even when they are defined by the school as an out-of-state resident for tuition purposes.  The bill went into effect July 1, 2015.

A “covered individual” is defined in the Choice Act as:

  • A Veteran who lives in the state in which the public Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL) is located (regardless of formal state of residence).
  • A spouse or child using transferred benefits who lives in the state in which the IHL is located (regardless of his/her formal state of residence).
  • A spouse or child using benefits under the Fry Scholarship who lives in the state in which the IHL is located (regardless of his/her formal state of residence).

To be eligible for the Choice Act, students must meet the requirements of the law and submit supporting documents to the Office of Admissions and Records outlined below.

  1. Reside in Massachusetts while attending UMass Dartmouth.
  2. Submit a Certificate of Eligibility with entitlement for one of the bills below:  
    1. Chapter 30 Montgomery GI Bill® (Active Duty)
    2. Chapter 31 Veteran Readiness and Employment
    3. Chapter 33 Post 9/11 GI Bill® (Veteran)
    4. Chapter 33 Post 9/11 GI Bill® (Dependent – “Transfer of Entitlement”)
  3. Provide a form DD214(Member copy 4) Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty. 

Mail or scan required documents to:
UMass Dartmouth- School of Law
Law Enrollment Center
333 Faunce Corner Road Dartmouth, MA 02747
LEC@umassd.edu 

Individuals who meet the requirements will maintain in-state resident status as long as they remain continuously enrolled at UMass Dartmouth, even if the term of benefits expires or educational assistance is exhausted under Chapter 30 or 33.

The complete policy and information is available on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs website.